I Am A Perfectionist (SWAGGGG Report)

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I am a perfectionist and that is stopping me or at least slowing me down. It's nothing new to me. I do have to remind myself to be aware of it, so that I can do something about it (or not).

above picture was taken in Oslo from a hotel window, an example of the flexibility of working online.

The World of Perfectionism

In the world of perfectionism nothing gets done or published, because everything can always be better. You just feel that you could always do better, that the text you wrote is not 100% there yet and hence you cannot publish it.

Another aspect is that you set (way too) high goals for yourself. Unfortunately high enough so that you will have the biggest of struggles to ever reach them. Also in such a way that we have to continiously make them higher while we are doing them.

The opposite can also happen, in a way that we do not manage to set goals at all, because we have to make the goals perfect. As long as the goal doesn't sound perfect, we cannot set the goal for ourselves.

So when we turn to the monthly reports, I delay my monthly reports so that I can do something about the missed opportunity and time and "quickly" do something about it before I post my report.

The Danger Of Backlogs

My wife suggested last month that I shouldn't create huge backlogs every time and just continue onwards and leave the missed goals behind. Instead set new goals and continue the journey.

It is a difficult thing, because I so wished for having achieved more than what happened. Always something external comes up or you get a day where you find no inspiration what so ever to write a quality post there.

I do however try to publish anyway and am working hard on my own skills in all possible ways:

  • goal setting
  • todo lists
  • creating a daily rythm
  • agenda planning
  • speech coach
  • life coach
  • improving online marketing skills
  • improving communication skills

On top of all that, I also try to work on SWAG and GGG. It's much - actually too much.

SWAG and GGG March Report

Last month I notified that I had to drop out of GGG to concentrate on SWAG. This month the opposite seems to happen.

This month I realised that my main site that I started with for just over a year ago has finally been showing results.

After 7 months of intense writing, like 4-7 times a week, it gained ranks and gets now organic traffic. Last December and January this year we had around 13 organic visitors a day on average. Now by the half of April it went up to around 22.

The niche site has not generated a single sale as of yet. This makes it for me also hard to promote WA, because I have nothing to show for that it actually works. I know it works, but it is hard to prove.

The higher traffic both from organic search and social media are promising results, but with the SWAG going onwards and my perfectionism goal setting and incompletion rates, I feel more and more demotivated to continue with the SWAG project. Will I continue? Yes, but most likely I have to take a step back, look at a more achievable goal and take it from there.

Great Opportunities

I really appreciate the opportunities that I have gotten here at WA and appreciate that I was invited to SWAG, so I do not want to entirely give up on that, but for the coming 3 months or so I am going to downprioritize SWAG and up my game on my main niche site.

It doesn't mean that I will drop out on any, nor will I entirely stop everything. Everything that Kyle teaches us, whether that is on the main course, the bootcamp or the current private SWAG course is fantastic stuff to apply to any of your sites.

The same goes for what Botipton has to say in the GGG course. Actually the same goes for everyone here that has something to teach or to share.

Results For March 2018

Cat Habits Goals

  • 2 posts per week (Tuesday and Thursday)
  • 800-1000 word-count per post
  • Still updating posts with CTA's
  • Trying to get some more reviews tied in

Cat Habits Results

  • 6 blogs in total
  • 1000+ words per blog
  • updated a couple of posts with CTA's
  • wrote 1 review (1109 words)

OOB Goals

OOB Results

  • 5 blogs in total
  • 1000+ words per blog

Still did a great job and managed to publish something every week, but it is at half the amount of what I planned beforehand.

New Goal Setting April & May

I am setting goals here for both April and May, because I am already nearly at the end of April at time of writing and know that goals have not been properly been set beforehand. You will see a copy of this in the next report, with some minor adjustments.

Cat Habits:

  • 2-3 blogs a week 800-1500 words each,
  • improving existing content
  • developing download for newsletter,
  • email marketing related to download.

OOB:

  • 1 blog a week at 1000+ words (Mondays),
  • development of product for download,
  • development on email marketing series (course)

Following up on course material of WA, SWAG and GGG and applying this.

Have a productive week ahead!

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Recent Comments

19

Steven, the title of your article caught my attention and I had to read it. You see, I'm a lot like you and relate to everything you said. I get so mad at myself for always trying to be the best at everything I do, Sometimes, I wish I could just be more laid back, go with the flow, and accept average, but I just can't. I have to do my best! I will probably be upset when my website/niche doesn't work at first also.

After looking at everything you do in a day, week, etc. I understand your frustration level. Is there anyway you can cut back on some of that. Sometimes, less is best! Just an idea.

Thanks for your reply Lisa!

I have cut down a bit lately. I have for one concentrated on the cats site and dropped my bootcamp for the while. I first want to make sure that WA works - not just one sale, but several, so that I have something to show for when people wonder whether it works.

I also have a job at the moment again that is part time to help with the income.

I otherwise post 2-3 posts a week and try to promote my blog as much as possible around those days.
It can be hard to find a balance between real life issues and the business, but eventually you find something that works for you. Perfectionism doesn't really help. We just need to keep on pushing out content.

Thanks for your tips!

Steven

Knowing yourself is a big part of success. Your honest assessment allows you to move forward in a framework that is right for you. Sharing your journey is helpful to me because it demonstrates that we are not alone ...we all have challenges...but we will survive and succeed.
Debbie

Absolutely right Debbie!

Hence I do these monthly reports now, whether or not I am part of some sort of fast forward group. It really works to set goals each month and try to achieve them. Failure is learning a lesson and adjusting goals again.

I have learned loads with these fast track groups and I can apply the knowledge to one or all my sites at my own pace any time anyway.

Steven

Sounds very smart!

Great point and very motivated post!!!

Tried and True

Elaine

That's true. I am very honest on these things. Got to be honest with myself when I didn't make a goal. That's an enormous strength. It's also important to make mistakes.. to learn.
In true tried and true style for you ;)

Steven

Congrats and all the very best.

I'm a recovering perfectionist! When I was much younger I even used to add it as a good quality on my resume!! It did not take long for me to see the light... :) Mind you I'd be happy if I needed surgery and the surgeon was a perfectionist.

~Mark :)

Yeah there are these jobs that require perfectionists, but it doesn't usually work well on a resume for most.

My perfectionism is selective. There are times I get loads done or OKAY things that are not entirely up to par, other times I just don't want stuff to release before they are absolutely great.

Strange.

Steven

My posts almost always hit over 2000 words, I sometimes have a hard time getting it all. on the short out I'm online

Then I would say you have no problem getting those words on "paper" at all. Or does it take you very long to produce 2000 words?

Steven

I do not feel it's hard or takes a long time when I've started writing. I share my posts in smaller bites. I think that's the main reason for being so long. My problem is to get started working with the texts. Once the keywords and headings are in place, it's really good to write.

Ohh boy, I hear you! Whenever I start something new
I get "perfection-itist, too!" Sorry I made that word up. I have a tendency to do that, always. Grammarly do not like that, but what the heck.

I like to make mistakes for the sake of that problem of making it fit nicely. That is why I catch myself taking so long to do "it." I know
that disease present!

Nice to know others like you have my kind of problem.

Do I care if I write and it's not all that perfect, sometimes. Mostly I know viewers know I'm human and I make mistakes.

But I do concern myself if I get my message across. That to me is a priority!

Thanks Steve great article my brother!


Frank

Hey Frank!
Yeah the perfection-itis is rather contagious they say.

Getting your message across is the most important. Don't get me wrong though, there are times that I don't care too much about anything and do get stuff out there, but sometimes I just don't get stuff out because I want to perfectionize it to the bone.

Steven

sound like progress from one perfectionist to another... :)

Thanks Steven!

Will have to work hard on it.

Sounds like you're making good progress and have great goals set for the next couple months--great job!

Janelle

We just keep on going and adjusting goals and tasks at hand.

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